Good Shepherd Lutheran Church    Today's Frontline Devotion      Tuesday, August 26, 2003 MULTIPLY THE MEAL

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Frontline Devotion for Tuesday, August 26, 2003 by Brenda Kessler

Text for the Day:  Matthew 15:29-16:12

Today part of our text is about Jesus feeding the four thousand.  Jesus called his disciples to him and explained that he wanted to feed the crowd because he did not want to send them away hungry.  The disciples questioned his decision.  They knew they didn’t have enough to feed this crowd and they couldn’t get more in such a remote place.  But, as we all know from hearing this scripture many times, Jesus took the seven loaves and a few small fish and when he had given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples who gave food to the people.  And – the people ate and were satisfied and afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of pieces that were left over.

As I reflected on this passage I was reminded of our eucharist (communion).  Each week many of us – thousands upon thousands upon thousands all over the world - worship and receive a small piece of bread and a small drink of wine, the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Is enough bread offered to satisfy the world’s definition of hunger?  Is enough wine offered to satisfy the world’s definition of thirst?  No.  One small piece of bread and one small sip of wine are all we receive and yet we go away satisfied. 

When we receive that small amount of bread and that small amount of wine we are called to share the body and blood of Christ with the people we encounter on a daily basis.  When we receive that bread and that wine we are called to share God’s love.  When we receive that bread and that wine we are called to share the blessing.  We, like Jesus, multiply the meal many times over when we share the love of Jesus with the people we meet.

Notice also that Jesus gave the loaves and the fishes to the disciples AFTER he had given thanks.  After he had given thanks! 

Those of us in the Lutheran tradition have a part of the liturgy called “The Great Thanksgiving.”  This occurs in our communion service BEFORE we receive the body and blood of Christ, before we receive the bread and the wine.  (Although I have not studied the liturgies of other traditions, I suspect that they, too, have a “thanksgiving” as part of their eucharistic liturgies.)  

We give thanks; we receive a small amount of bread and wine; we are sent out to multiply the bread and wine.  We are sent out to share the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are sent out to multiply the meal! 

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you for feeding us with the bread of life. Help us to multiply the meal until Your love reaches the ends of the earth.  In Jesus name we pray.    Amen.

To respond to this devotion, write mailto:pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org

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